Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said there is a “strong case” for banning under-16s from social media.
While the government does not yet have an official position on an Australian-style ban on children accessing the platforms, Ms Mahmood‘s intervention makes it more likely.
However, as the minister responsible for policing, the home secretary rejected the idea that officers would be used to regulate any ban.
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A consultation has been launched by the government on the use of social media by young people, and is expected to report back later this year with recommendations.
The Lords this week passed an amendment calling for a ban, which may be tricky for the Commons to defeat depending on the mood within the Parliamentary Labour Party.
On Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Ms Mahmood was asked if officers would start policing teenagers’ bedrooms.
She told Sky News: “The government’s position is there’s going to be a genuine open consultation.
“And of course, the Australians have moved to a ban.
“I think there is a strong case for a ban, by the way, because I think that social media environment poses huge dangers for our young people at a time when their characters, their personalities, their minds are forming.
“I think we should take a second look at the sort of environment that we let our children grow up in.
“That is the nation’s business.”
Ms Mahmood will on Monday unveil a set of proposals to overhaul policing in the UK.
As she made the case for the reforms, the home secretary indicated she did not want to see police officers getting involved in complaints around social media posts.
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She told Sky News: “I will be saying more about that in the coming days.
“But I’ve been very clear that perfectly legal tweets, policing the so-called culture war, is not what our police are for.
“They are here to go after criminals, to catch criminals, to bring them to justice, to help prevent crime, and to deter crime by having a visible presence in all of our communities.
“And all of these reforms taken together are about visible neighbourhood policing and making sure that people in our communities feel safe.”
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The UK is not the only country watching how Australia’s ban pans out.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that he wants a ban for under-15s in place in France by the start of the school year in September.
